8 Transactions of the Society. 



be desirable. I have called it oceUatus from the curious effect, like 

 two great eyes, produced by the globular stigmatic organs (or 

 protecting hairs as Nicolet calls them) being sunk exactly in the 

 mouths of the stigmata. This is the only instance of such an 

 arrangement which I am aware of in the Oribatidm. 



Another somewhat singular creature is the very minute being 

 which I propose to call Notaspis licnoioliorus : here again the 

 peculiarity is in the stigmatic organs, which are flattened, and so 

 large as to appear quite disproportioned to the Acarid. When I 

 have had this tiny creature alive on the stage of the Microscope 

 for the purpose of observing or drawing it, I have seen the 

 stigmatic organs blown about by the wind. 



A third very curious new species is the one I propose to call 

 Damseus monilipes: the remarkable part of this creature is the 

 form of the legs, particularly the first pair, where the tibia is a 

 globular mass which appears altogether too large for the Arachnid, 

 and gives it the effect of carrying a mace on each side. 



A fourth curious species I propose to call Notaspis lacustris : 

 the pecuKarity is its being strictly aquatic, and being often found 

 covered with diatoms. 



In conclusion I may briefly allude to certain slides which have 

 been in circulation of late as being mounts of an Acarus supposed 

 to feed upon the Phylloxera ; those that I have seen have been a 

 collection of various Acarina, of different families — in fact anything 

 and everthing found upon a vine ; amongst them were more than 

 one of the Oribatidfe. I think that such information should be 

 received with extreme caution, as I am not aware of any well- 

 authenticated instance of any species, which really belongs to this 

 family, being habitually predatory. 



Descriptions of Species. 

 Cepheus ocellatus n. sp. PI. I. Figs. 6-9. 



Average length about "6 mm. 

 „ breadth „ •82 mm. 



„ length of legs 1st, 2nd, and 3rd pairs about -24 mm. 

 „ „ „ 4th pair about • 32 mm. 



This species does not fit very happily into any of Nicolet's genera, 

 but I do not think it is desirable, at present, to create a new genus 

 for it. The only one of the existing genera in which it can be 

 included is Cepheus, and in that genus 1 accordingly place it 

 provisionally. 



It is a somewhat singular, and very well marked species. The 

 colour is very dark brown, often almost black, and the texture is 

 dull, without the slightest gloss. 



The cephalothorax is rather more than a third of the total 



